War Pensioners (Hansard, 27 July 1979)

§ Mr. Carter-Jones
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association about the inadequacy of the current cash allowances payable to severely disabled war pensioners with their motor cars or
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for families of which the head is under pension age.
The table below provides the latest estimates available in the form requested, for families of which the head is under pension age. Part-time workers are included under the heading of "others"; it is regretted that they cannot readily be separated.
as private car maintenance allowances under the war pensioners' vehicle service; and when he intends to reply.

§ Mr. Bowden
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association about the inadequancy of the current cash 673W allowances payable to severely disabled war pensioners with their motor cars or as private car maintenance allowances under the war pensioners' vehicle service; and when he intends to reply.

§ Mr. Patrick Jenkin
The general secretary wrote to me on 10 July asking for an increase in these allowances, and I replied to him on 25 July.

§ Mr. Carter-Jones
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will treat the cash allowances payable under the war pensioners' vehicle service as war pensioner entitlements, the rates of which should be raised whenever the rates of all other war pensions and allowances are uplifted following annual reviews.

§ Mr. Bowden
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will treat the cash allowances payable under the war pensioners' vehicle service as war pensioner entitlements, the rates of which should be raised whenever the rates of all other war pensions and allowances are uplifted following annual reviews.

§ Mr. Prentice
These allowances are kept under review, but the case for increasing them has to be considered alongside other competing claims, including those relating to other services for disabled people on limited resources. I cannot accept that increasing them should be given the overriding priority which would be implicit in automatic uprating.

§ Mr. Carter-Jones
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the current rates of car allowance and private car maintenance allowance payable under the war pensioners' vehicle service; and what would be the level to which the rates of these allowances should be increased to restore their 1965 values.

§ Mr. Bowden
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the current rates of car allowance and private car maintenance allowance payable under the war pensioners' vehicle service; and what would be the level to which the rates of these allowances should be increased to restore their 1965 values.

§ Mr. Prentice
The rate of car maintenance allowance varies, according to the age of the vehicle, between £50 and £150 per annum. The private car mainten-674W ance allowance is £250 per annum. The comparable rates in 1965 were respectively £35 to £65 and £95. If the latter rates were revalued simply to take account of the variation of the internal purchasing power of the pound, based on the retail prices index, they would be respectively of the order of £130 to £240 and £350.

§ Mr. Carter-Jones
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the considerable delay in the supply of new and replacement motor vehicles to severely disabled war pensioners under the war pensioners' vehicle service, which is causing considerable inconvenience and anxiety to severely disabled war pensioners, he will explain the reasons for such delay; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the situation.

§ Mr. Bowden
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the considerable delay in the supply of new and replacement motor vehicles to severely disabled war pensioners under the war pensioners' vehicle service, which is causing considerable inconvenience and anxiety to severely disabled war pensioners, he will explain the reasons for such delays; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the situation.

§ Mr. Prentice
Delays in delivery occur from time to time for a variety of causes, all of which are beyond my Department's direct control. Currently some delay is being experienced in carrying out the necessary conversions of the foot controls of new cars to hand operation. The firm concerned is taking steps to clear the backlog as quickly as possible and officers of my Department will continue to keep the situation under review.